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Education witnesses urge expanded tribal control, stable funding for BIE and tribal schools
Summary
Curry Bird, president of the National Indian Education Association, told the committee that “sovereignty is the foundation of effective education in Indian Country,” and pressed for expanded tribal control and stable funding for tribal schools.
Curry Bird, president of the National Indian Education Association, told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that “sovereignty is the foundation of effective education in Indian Country,” and urged Congress to affirm tribal authority over education and to provide stable, advanced appropriations.
Bird said tribal children in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and in public schools face chronic underfunding and deteriorating facilities; he urged protecting Title VI (Johnson‑O’Malley), impact aid and other tribal education funding streams. He recommended expanding tribal self‑governance and moving 105(l) lease funding to mandatory appropriations so tribes can build and maintain school facilities.
Why it matters: Witnesses said better tribal control of school nutrition and early childhood programs would improve outcomes. Bird described a tribal school that can integrate community resources—bison herds, local processing facilities and language providers—to provide culturally relevant meals and curricula. The Alice Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children’s recent recommendations were cited as a roadmap for maternal and early‑childhood priorities.
Committee members asked about school choice and BIE: witnesses said tribal, tribally controlled schools are a form of school choice and should not be undermined by generic school choice models that could divert funding and oversight away from tribal‑run programs.
Ending: Senators asked education witnesses for concrete recommendations and said the committee would use the commission report and witness input to craft legislative and budget priorities for the 119th Congress.
